Was it only a few weeks ago I was demanding that everyone in the West plant only native plants? So what am I doing now going crazy over roses — roses that are most definitely not the native California Rock Rose? Well, because, as Gertrude Stein said, “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose”. By which she probably meant: things are what they are. But she may have also meant that there is nothing quite like a rose. I can attest to this. As rigid as I am that only native plants should be cultivated in semi-arid environments, I will bend my rules for roses. Not that I’ve ever had any luck growing roses, but I will go out of my way to see them. Luckily, I live in San Jose’s Rose Garden District, so I don’t have to go far to brake for roses. In fact, I can walk to this historic garden from my house. And if you like roses, San Jose’s Municipal Rose Garden is a sight to behold. Once a prune orchard, this 5.5 acre plot was bought by San Jose in 1927, laid out by John McLaren (of Golden Gate Park fame) and quickly devoted to roses. It features more than 3,500 shrubs representing 189 rose varieties. It is an important test garden for AARS, the All-America Rose Selections, an horticultural society devoted to preserving rare and heirloom roses. The AARS has, for several years, named the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden “America’s Best Rose Garden”. My favorite story about the Rose Garden is that drastic budget cuts left it with little to no funding. Rose gardeners from far and wide donned floppy hats, wielded garden sheers and banded together to take over the park maintenance and to raise it to heights of glory beyond even when it had full city funding.
While I know nothing much about roses, except that I like them, I appreciate that there are many rare roses here that might be available for viewing nowhere else. If you are in the San Jose area, now is the time to put this on your agenda. Although roses have a long blooming season, apparently, the first bloom of spring is the most intense for color and aroma. It’s also the time that teenagers and brides flock to the garden to have their prom and wedding pictures taken here. You’ll also see many fashion shoots happening among the blooms. Recently, I saw a full-on Cinderella, in a costume so authentic and with a photographer so professional that it had to be some sort of Disney promo. But perhaps my favorite time in the Rose Garden is Sunday afternoon when large Indian families descend on it wearing saris and jackets that even rival the flowers for color and beauty. Again, the roses will bloom all summer, but not as intensely as they are now. Get down here!
There was really no angle where I could show you how many freakin’ roses there are in this place. Here is about a fifth of the garden.
The best things are the many rare roses. This one is called Sunshine Daydream. I can hear Donovan singing!
This one is called Rainbow Sorbet.
This one is Stainless Steel.
There’s a wonderful fountain. That is partially underwritten by the employees of Google.
This is Grandiflora Montezuma. Another orange rose is Adobe Sunrise. I love how so many of the roses with Western names are orange.
This rose is called Julia Child. I assume because it’s yellow. Like buttah!
I might be a little freaked out by a purple rose. Appropriately, this one is called Twilight Zone. Shouldn’t it be The Purple Rose of Cairo?
There are other things besides roses. Like fountains, Redwoods, playing fields, benches… But, of course, you really come here for the roses.
Yes, come here for the roses!
The San Jose Municipal Rose Garden is at Naglee Avenue and Dana. Don’t be confused by the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden which is an entirely different garden in a completely different place. And try to come on the weekend when the Indian families are here.
I have seen rose bushes at the ends of rows in vineyards; you are the perfect person to ask why.
Many of the diseases and pests that attack vines will attack roses first. So the roses become an early warning system. I’d never wanted to do it because I only want native plants (well other than my grapes, olive trees and oil lavender). But I found out at the Rose Garden that roses, when older, are extremely drought tolerant and can almost be dry farmed. However I still don’t think I’ll grow them. I’ve never had much luck with them and I think I would prefer the native California rose which is shrubbier and more hardy.
My father grew/tested hybrid teas for the major rose companies when we were browing up…so I’ve loved roses forever. One of our ways to make money was to trap Japanese Beetles on the roses and we’d get a penny for each one we removed from the plants so dad sdidn’t have to do as much dusting and spraying as most roses require. We always had beautiful bouquets throughout the house — Tropicana, Peace, Lady Bird, and my always-favorite, Pristine — a delicate, gorgeous delicious-smelling palest of pink roses. I can’t find a Pristine rose or bush anywhere to save my life! Woring on roses and rose beds was what I did t bond with my Dad. I learned to soak the roses overnight in warm water after they were shipped, how deeply to dig the holes for planting, which parts of the stem needed to stay above ground, how to count off leaves and branches to properly cut flowers and trim buses, how to get them to climb if they were climbers, and then we moved to Florida.
While Dad planted supposed Florida Zone 9/10 hybrids, this is the tropics and the various diseases that love roses are even more aggressive and pervalent here. So many survived the beds dug all around the back fences, climber around bedroom windows, and provided those beautiful bouquets…and the scents…but others did not. It was a constant battle. Whe the last of the bushes were gone, after my father died, I untwisted the metal tags from the chain link fences…they used to tinkle in the wind and it was a lovely sound. They now rest, like dog tags, in a special jewelry box I have and I’ll take them out and look through them every so often. I wish I could grow roses…but they just don’t mean to do well in the Florida sun, sandy soil and buggy, moldy, virus-prone conditions here. NO matter what the labels say!
Wow! Pamela, what a base of knowledge to have. I’m told California is one of the best places for roses as they don’t tend to get black spot and other diseases they are prone to. However, even our native one, Rosa Californica, requires water. So, if I ever planted one, it could only be down by our pond. As our goal is to have landscaping that needs absolutely no irrigation. All our water is reserved for the vines, olives and lavender.
Just saw lovely roses in Italy. I also have never had much luck with them in humid Virginia!
My parents grew roses, and so did my Scottish grandmother. They all had lovely beds, and some of my mother’s still survive at their old house. I heard a story on NPR about a week ago about THIS rose bush, which lives in Tombstone, Ariz, and is reportedly the largest and oldest rosebush anywhere. This should be proof that a rose, properly cared for, can thrive in an arid landscape.
I have a yellow Lady Banks growing at the small house I own in East Memphis. It was given to me as a slip by a lovely, older doctor from India who lives in New Orleans. I have to keep a close eye on this bush, or rather like the monster plant in “Little Shop of Horrors,” it will take over the entire backyard. The summer heat and drenching spring rains here make it grow rapidly. The Lady Banks blooms only briefly in the spring, but for that short period of time, the air is filled with it’s sweet and delicate aroma.
Rats. Here is the link. http://southernarizonaguide.com/worlds-largest-rose-the-lady-banksiae/
If you would like to see more freakin’ roses (acres), consider the annual Wasco Rose Festival. Not a beautiful layout like San Jose and not as jubilant as Pasadena; but it’s a local good time to celebrate the local industry. Sadly, that industry is much small than it has been.
http://www.ci.wasco.ca.us/festival-of-roses/
we have 50 or 60 yr old heirloom pink – orange roses that are so beautiful I am afraid to up – root them in a major move, but would hate to leave them behind too.
I have read the root ball can be pretty large and only to up root in the off season when they are not flowering, however concerned about the air drying the roots out.
In travels, can one place the root ball and large plant in burlap placed in water? concerned about the roots getting to dry otherwise.
any suggestions are greatly welcomed and appreciated, these were planted probably 50 or more years ago and are so lovely I am a bit afraid of them not making it!
I’m no rose expert, although I admire them. I have heard that the root ball is big and older roses, especially if they were watered sparingly, can be very drought tolerant and put down very deep roots. I’d vote to leave them where they are. But you should ask a rose expert. I think the Friends of the San Jose Rose Garden are pretty knowledgeable, especially about older roses.